Support for oil tanks



March 19, 1935. I N JR 1,995,202

SUPPORT FOR OIL TANKS Filed Nov. 29, 1935 Z Z i I 1 W f I W F 1 l I JINVENTOIg ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 19, 1935 I 1 SUPP'oR'rFon OIL TANKS Edward J'." fleming,

Jr., springfieldilllassi j Application November 29, 1933, 'SerialNo.1011,2152 g 2 Claims.

mountable and self-adjusting support for oil tanks, or like articles,that will automatically conform to the shape of the surface, or floor,on

which the support is placed.

At the present time, it is common to place oil tanks, or bury them inthe earth, outside of the house. This has been found to beobjectionable, as the tanks often rust and cause the oil to escape,without detection. Also, it is expensive and often inconvenient to solocate them.

The present invention is designed for quickly and efiiciently supportinga tank in the basement, or cellar portion of the house, and preferably,in the corner of the cellar, or against the wall. The support isdesigned for supporting an oil tank that is substantially elliptical incross section, and of a length to contain the maximum quantity of oil,permitted by the fire underwriters rules, or other authorities.

An object of my invention is to provide four supporting posts, on whichthe lower, curved surface of the tank rests, and the shape of each oneof the upper ends of these four supporting posts conforms to thecurvature of the tank, whereby, when it is placed on these foursupports, the tank is automatically centered, or held in a verticalposition.

A further object is to provide a demountable structure that can bequickly assembled and disassembled, as required.

The invention, broadly, comprises four supporting post members, two or apair of which are located near each of the opposite ends of the tank.These two post members are loosely connected together, and spaced fromeach other, by a base plate which is formed with upwardly projectinglugs, near its opposite ends, which enter openings in lugs formed on theinner surface of the supporting post members. This construction permitseach one of the posts to automatically adjust itself, relative to anyuneven supporting surface of the floor, as will be fully described.

Referring to the drawing:--

Fig. 1 is a top, plan view of the assembled device, showing the fourposts or the two pairs of supports with the two connecting spacer lockbars and an oil tank, shown in place, in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, elevational end view showing two of the posts andone of the connecting lock-bars for the two posts.

Fig. 3 is a sectional, plan view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing thethree strengthening rib members of the posts.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, illustrating one pair, or two of the postsand connecting lockbar members, in assembled positions.

Fig. 5 is a detail, perspective view of the spacer and lock-bar, and 1Fig. 6 illustrates the invention, when placed on an uneven supportingsurface, showing each post tipped slightly. I

Referring to the drawing in detail:-

1 indicates a supporting post, four of which are employed that are allalike in structure. These posts are formed with a square base portion 2,having the ribs 3, 4, and 5, the filler portion 5, and the inner flatsurface 6, which surface is at right angles to the plane of the baseportion 2. '7 indicates an integral lug that is formed on the innersurface 6 and near the bottom of the post 1. This lug is formed with anopening 8, of any desired shape. 9 indicates a spacing lock-bar, that isformed with the upwardly extending projections 10, at its opposite ends,as shown, which enter the openings 8 and the lugs "7, when assembled, asclearly shown in Fig. 4. The projections 10in the openings 8 may be ofany shape, as.round,.hexagonal, or rectangular. The upper ends of theposts 1 are each formed with a curved surface 11; the our.-

vature of which corresponds with the curvature of the oil tank,indicated at '12, whereby, when a tank is placed on these curvedsurfaces, it will automatically seat, or adjust itself in a verticalplane.

The device is assembled by placing two of the spacer lock-bars 9 on thesurface, or ground,.- as indicated at 13, in Fig. 6, where the groundisshown as being irregular. One of the four posts are then placed at eachend of one of the spacer lock-bars 9, with the projections 10 enteringthe openings 8, as shown. The plan view in Fig. 1 illustrates two of theassembled spacer barsand. four of the posts.

It will be seen that each of the posts 1 will automatically assume aposition, corresponding to the unevenness of the supporting surface. Theassembled tank-supporting device shows one pair of the posts at each endof the tank.

It is to be observed, from Fig. 1, that, whenthe device is assembled,the four posts will support the oil tank 1, which is substantiallyelliptical in cross section, as shown in Fig. 2,'and the four posts,with the curved surfaces 11 will permit the tank 12 to automaticallyassume a vertical position. The four ribs indicated at 3, 4, 5 and 5' onthe posts 1 serve to strengthen the same, both laterally and vertically.The smooth, inner face 6 of each of the posts readily permits them tomove independently of each other and relative to the opposite ends ofthe lock-bars 9, as indicated by the space 13, together with thelooseting each post to move freely in all end of the tank, separate barmeans for loosely connecting each of the two pairs of supporting postmembers together to permit a free and independent movement relative toeach other, said post-connecting means being located directly on thesame surface on which the posts rest.

2. A demountable tank-supporting device comprising, two pairs ofone-piece supporting posts, one pair being located at each end of thetank, a separate spacing and lock-bar member located on the supportingsurface and loosely connecting each of the two pairs of the supportingposts together, said loose connecting lock-bars permitdirections whensupported on an uneven surface, as shown and described. v EDWARD J.FLEMING, JR.

bers, one pair of the postsbeing located at each

